Air treatment reactor modules and associated systems, devices and methods

ABSTRACT

Embodiments of the present technology are directed to air treatment reactor modules, and associated systems and devices. An exemplary reactor module can include a housing, an ultraviolet (UV) light source disposed within the housing, and a plurality of hollow elongate conduits disposed within the housing and peripheral to the UV light source. The UV light source and individual conduits can extend in a lateral direction perpendicular to the direction of air flow through the reactor module. The conduits can include a plurality of holes and be at least partially coated with a photocatalytic material. The housing can have an inner surface comprising a reflective material that, in operation, reflects UV light emitted from the UV light source.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

The present application is a Continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 17/506,634, filed Oct. 20, 2021, which claims the benefit ofand priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0137057, filedOct. 21, 2020, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein byreference in their entireties.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to air treatment reactor modules andassociated systems, devices and methods.

BACKGROUND

Individuals spend more than 90% of their time indoors and, as such,indoor air quality management and infection control (e.g., ofrespiratory diseases) are of great significance to public life andhealth. Existing air treatment devices provide purified air but sufferfrom multiple deficiencies, including being too expensive, requiringconstant maintenance, producing noise above acceptable levels, havinglimited air treatment efficiency, and drawing significant power, amongstother deficiencies. Accordingly, there exists a need for an improved airtreatment device for purifying, filtering, and/or at least partiallysterilizing indoor air environments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Features, aspects, and advantages of the presently disclosed technologymay be better understood with regard to the following drawings.

FIG. 1A is a partially schematic isometric view of a reactor module ofan air treatment device, in accordance with embodiments of the presenttechnology.

FIG. 1B is a partially exploded isometric view of the reactor module ofFIG. 1A.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are side views of conduits of a reactor module, inaccordance with embodiments of the present technology.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of a method for applying photocatalyst toconduits used in a reactor module, in accordance with embodiments of thepresent technology.

FIGS. 4A and 4B are partially schematic views of other reactor modules,in accordance with embodiments of the present technology.

FIGS. 5A and 5B are partially schematic isometric and top views,respectively, of the panel member of the reactor module of FIG. 1A.

FIG. 6A is a partially schematic view illustrating the path of lightemitted in a reactor module that does not include an internal reflectivesurface.

FIG. 6B is a partially schematic view illustrating the path of lightemitted in a reactor module that includes an internal reflectivesurface, in accordance with embodiments of the present technology.

FIG. 7A is a partially schematic isometric view of a wind guide assemblycoupled to a reactor module, in accordance with embodiments of thepresent technology.

FIG. 7B is a partially schematic side cross-sectional view of the windguide assembly and reactor module of FIG. 7A.

FIG. 7C is a partially schematic cross-sectional view illustrating airflow through the reactor module and wind guide assembly of FIG. 7A, inaccordance with embodiments of the present technology.

FIG. 8A is a partially schematic cross-sectional view of a wind guideassembly coupled to a reactor module, in accordance with embodiments ofthe present technology.

FIG. 8B is a partially schematic side cross-sectional view of the windguide assembly and reactor module of FIG. 8A.

FIG. 9 is a partially schematic cross-sectional side view of an airtreatment system including a filter, a fan, and one or more reactormodules, in accordance with embodiments of the present technology.

FIGS. 10A-10F are partially schematic top views of various arrangementsof a fan and one or more reactor modules, in accordance with embodimentsof the present technology.

FIG. 11 is a partially schematic isometric view of two stackable reactormodules, in accordance with embodiments of the present technology.

FIG. 12A is a partially schematic side view of an air purificationsystem, in accordance with embodiments of the present technology.

FIG. 12B is a partially schematic exploded view of the air purificationsystem of FIG. 12A.

FIG. 13 is a partially schematic side view of the air purificationsystem of FIG. 12A coupled to a fan, in accordance with embodiments ofthe present technology.

FIG. 14A is a partially schematic isometric view of a treatment module,in accordance with embodiments of the present technology.

FIG. 14B is a schematic isometric exploded view of the treatment moduleof FIG. 14A.

FIG. 15 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of the treatment moduleof FIG. 14A coupled to the reactor modules of FIG. 8A, in accordancewith embodiments of the present technology.

FIG. 16 is a schematic isometric view of an air treatment system, inaccordance with embodiments of the present technology.

In the Figures, identical reference numbers identify generally similar,and/or identical, elements. Many of the details, dimensions, and otherfeatures shown in the Figures are merely illustrative of particularembodiments of the disclosed technology. Accordingly, other embodimentscan have other details, dimensions, and features without departing fromthe spirit or scope of the disclosure. In addition, those of ordinaryskill in the art will appreciate that further embodiments of the variousdisclosed technologies can be practiced without several of the detailsdescribed below.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION I. Overview

Current air treatment devices suffer from multiple deficienciesincluding excess noise output and limited air treatment efficiency. Forexample, current air treatment devices either cannot sterilize all oreven a majority of the air that travels through the devices, or, inorder to sterilize a majority of the air, the devices are designed tohave a relatively limited air volume throughput. This is in part due tothe shape and dimensions of the housing of reactor modules, the presence(or lack thereof) and relative positioning of photocatalytic surfaces,and/or the arrangement and positioning ultraviolet light sourcesrelative to the photocatalytic surfaces and the direction of air flowthrough the housing.

Embodiments of the present technology at least partially mitigate theseand other deficiencies by providing reactor modules and/or air treatmentdevices/systems that are able to effectively treat (e.g., sterilize,filter, and/or purify) air to provide treated indoor environmentssubstantially free of undesirable contaminants. An exemplary reactormodule of the present technology can include a housing configured topass air flow from an inlet to an outlet of the housing, one or moreelongate ultraviolet (UV) light sources disposed within the housing, anda plurality of elongate conduits disposed within the housing and that atleast partially surround or sandwich the UV light sources. The UV lightsources can be configured to emit UVC light radially outwardly in alldirections. The housing can have a rectangular shape with a lengthdimension along the direction of air flow, and a width dimension that insome embodiments is longer than the length dimension. As explainedelsewhere herein, the shape and dimensions of the housing can bedesigned to optimize residence time of air contaminants in the reactormodule to ensure treatment (e.g., sterilization) rates are above apredetermined rate, while also maximizing or maintaining design airthroughput volumes.

Individual conduits of the reactor modules can extend in a lateraldirection perpendicular to the direction the air flow through thereactor module, and can be grouped in sets (e.g., rows or columns) thatextend either along the direction of airflow through the housing oralong a height of the housing. Arranging the conduits in such a mannerrelative to the air flow can optimize contact between the conduits andthe air flow, or more particularly the contaminants of the air. In someembodiments, the conduits can be a hollow structure with an outersurface that includes a plurality of holes, e.g., having hexagonal,honeycomb, triangular, square, rectangular, polygonal, or other shapes.The conduits can be coated with a photocatalyst or other materialconfigured to enable sterilization of the incoming air, e.g., byforming, in combination with the UV light sources, hydroxyl freeradicals that react with the contaminants on the surface of theconduits.

In some embodiments, the reactor modules can include a panel member,e.g., at an inlet or intermediate region of the housing, to providefurther treatment of the incoming air. The panel member can extend alongan entire width and height of the housing, and can include a pluralityof holes that define channels or air paths through the panel member. Thechannels are configured to receive the incoming air and can helpdistribute the incoming air across a cross-sectional area of thehousing, e.g., to ensure the air reaches peripheral regions of thehousing and does congregate in an intermediate region. The panel membercan be coated with a photocatalyst that can further contribute tosterilizing the incoming air.

In some embodiments, other components can be coupled to the reactormodule to improve treatment of the incoming air or operation of thereactor module. For example, a wind guide assembly and/or a treatmentmodule can be coupled to the reactor modules, e.g., downstream of theconduits and UV light sources. The wind guide assembly can mitigateundesirable noise output from the reactor module, and/or reduceturbulence of the treated air flow from the reactor module and enablethe air flow to have a laminar flow profile. The treatment module canalso mitigate undesirable noise output from the reactor module.

One or more of the reactor modules can be incorporated into an airtreatment device or system configured to operate as a stand or stand-updevice, or mounted to a ceiling, duct or wall. As described elsewhereherein, the air treatment systems can include other components,including one or more filters and/or fans.

II. Modules and Systems for Purifying and/or Sterilizing Air

FIG. 1A is a partially schematic isometric view of a reactor module 100,in accordance with embodiments of the present technology. As describedelsewhere herein, the reactor module 100 can be configured to beincorporated into a device and/or system configured to treat (e.g.,filter and/or sterilize) air and filter or remove undesirablecontaminants con, such as dust, viruses, bacteria, mold, fungi,allergens, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), fumes, and odors. As shownin FIG. 1A, the reactor module 100 includes a housing 102, a pluralityof ultraviolet (UV) light sources 120 disposed within the housing 102, apower source 104 operably coupled to the UV light sources 120, and acontroller 106 operably coupled to the power source 104 and/or the UVlight sources 120. The controller 106 can couple the power source 104 tothe UV light sources 120 and thereby control lighting of the UV lightsources. The controller 106 can also be configured to operate thereactor module 100 in one or more operating modes. Factors fordetermining an operating mode for the reactor module 100 can depend onthe end use of the reactor module 100, and may include the desiredpurified and/or sterilized air throughout, noise output, moduleorientation, and air filtration, amongst other factors. The UV lightsources 120 can include UVC light sources (e.g., wavelengths from about100-280 nm), UVA light sources (e.g., wavelengths from about 315-400nanometers (nm)), UVB light sources (e.g., wavelengths from about280-315 nm), and combinations thereof.

FIG. 1B is a partially exploded isometric view of the reactor module 100of FIG. 1A. For illustrative purposes, portions of the reactor module100 (e.g., the top cover of the reactor module 100) have been removedfrom FIG. 1B. As shown in FIG. 1B, the reactor module 100 includes thehousing 102 previously described, which includes a first housing portion102 a defining an inlet 103 a at a proximal end of the reactor module100 and a second housing portion 102 b defining an outlet 103 b at adistal end of the reactor module 100. The first housing portion 102 acan be mechanically coupled the second housing portion 102 b to form asingle piece containing individual components of the reactor module 100.The first housing portion 102 a and the second housing portion 102 b arecollectively referred to herein as the housing 102. The housing 102 canhave a rectangular shape such that a length of the housing 102 (e.g.,defining a first axis) along the primary direction of air flow betweenthe inlet 103 a and the outlet 103 b is greater than a lateral width(e.g., defining a second axis), and in some embodiments a heigh (e.g., athird axis), of the reactor module 100. In such embodiments, thepressure drop of air is decreased, relative to a reactor module having alength along the primary direction of air flow that is longer than awidth of the reactor module, The length of the housing 102 can affect aresidence time of the air flowing through the reactor module 100 andthus can be adjusted depending on end use and related factors (e.g.,desirable air throughput and/or sterilization). For example, the lengthof the housing 102, and therein the reactor module 100, can be increasedto accommodate a higher sterilization power, air volume throughput,and/or air flow rate. Additionally or alternatively, the length of thehousing can affect (i) pressure drop of air flowing through the reactormodule 100, with a longer length being correlated to a larger pressuredrop, and (ii) the laminar flow profile of the air exiting the reactormodule at the outlet 103 b, with a longer module being correlated tomore laminar flow. In some embodiments, the housing 102 can compriseother shapes (e.g., a cylindrical shape), based on the desired end useof the corresponding air treatment device.

The reactor module 100 can further include a panel member 108, theplurality of UV light sources 120 previously described, and a pluralityof conduits 110. Individual ones of the UV light sources 120 and theconduits 110 can extend laterally within the housing 102 along thesecond axis and are thus perpendicular to the direction of air flowthrough the reactor module along the first axis from the inlet 103 a tothe outlet 103 b. Positioning the conduits 110 in such an arrangementrelative to the air flow can enable more air to contact the conduits110, compared to if the conduits 110 were parallel to the air flow. Asdescribed elsewhere herein, this can improve air treatment efficiency ofthe reactor module 100. In some embodiments, such as the illustratedembodiment of FIG. 1B, the conduits 110 can be arranged in rows that aredisposed along a length or first axis of the reactor module 100 ordirection of airflow through the reactor module 100. As explainedelsewhere herein (e.g., with reference to FIG. 4), the rows of conduits110 can be arranged along a height or third axis of the reactor module100 and be angled and/or perpendicular to the director of air flow. Sucharrangement of the conduits 110 can allow for ample air flow through thereactor module 100, while also providing ample contact of the airflowing through the reactor module 100 with the surface of the conduits110. The conduits 110 can be disposed at least partially around (e.g.,above and below, proximal and distal, and/or radially) the UV lightsources 120. For example, the conduits 110 can include a first row ofconduits 110 disposed peripheral to the UV light sources 120 in a firstdirection (e.g., an upward direction) and a second row of conduits 110disposed peripheral to the UV light sources 120 in a second direction(e.g., a downward direction) different or opposite the first direction.Stated differently, the UV light sources 120 can be positioned in anintermediate region (e.g., not at the top or bottom regions) of thehousing 102, and the conduits 110 can be positioned in a peripheralregion of the housing 102 radially outward of the UV light sources 120and the intermediate region. Disposing the UV light sources 120 radiallyinward of the conduits 110, as opposed to outward, can beneficiallyensure that more or substantially all or a majority of the air flowthrough the housing 102 is sterilized via light from the UV lightsources 120. Additionally or alternatively, disposing the conduits 110close to one another (e.g., abutting one another) and radially outwardof the UV light sources 120 (e.g., both above and below the UV lightsources 120) can help ensure UV rays emanated from the UV light sources120 are inhibited or prevented from emanating outside the housing 102.That is, the structure of the conduits 110 can physically block the UVrays from emanating therebeyond. The conduits 110 are described inadditional detail in FIGS. 2A and 2B.

The conduits 110 and the UV light sources 120 can be fixedly coupled tothe housing 102, or more particularly to the second housing portion 102b. As shown in FIG. 1B, the second housing portion 102 b can includeholes 121 a/b on opposing sidewalls of the second housing portion 102 bthat are configured to receive the UV light sources 120. The UV lightsources 120 can include coupling members 122 made from rubber or otherflexible materials to fix individual UV light sources 120 in place, aswell as ensure UV light emanating therefrom is inhibited from or doesnot pass through the holes 121 a/b and expose users of the correspondingair treatment devices. The UV light sources 120 can be horizontallyand/or vertically staggered relative to one another. For example, asshown in FIG. 1B, the UV light sources 120 can include a first mostproximal UV light source, a second UV light source distal to andvertically offset (i.e., above) from the first UV light source, a thirdUV light source distal to and vertically offset (i.e., below) from thesecond UV light source, and a fourth UV light source distal to andvertically offset (i.e., above) from the third UV light source.Staggering the UV light sources can ensure more light is emittedtherefrom and increase the likelihood of the light contacting theincoming air.

As also shown in FIG. 1B, the second housing portion 102 b can includeone or more elongate trays or holders 111 a/b for receiving (e.g.,fixing, securing, holding, etc.) the conduits 110. The holders 111 a/bare positioned radially outward of the holes 121 a/b. In someembodiments, the holders 111 a/b and housing 102 are formed together,such that they constitute a single piece with a continuous surface.Individual holders 111 a/b can extend along a side of the housing 102along the direction of air flow or first axis through the reactor module100. In some embodiments, the holders 111 a/b comprise only a singleprotruding lip spaced apart from an upper or lower surface of the secondhousing portion 102 b. The holders 111 a/b can be generally positionednear an upper or lower region of the side of the housing 102 such thatthe conduits 110 can be secured within the holders 111 a/b between anupper or lower surface of the housing 102 and a protruding lip of theholders 111 a/b. In some embodiments, the conduits can include couplers(e.g., bosses) 112 a/b at opposing end portions of the conduits 110,which can have a dimension slightly smaller than a correspondingdimension of the holders 111 a/b such that the holders can receive thecouplers 112 a/b and maintain them in a fixed position during operationof the reactor module 100. In doing so, the conduits 110 may not be inphysical contact with the lip of the holders 111 a/b or the upper orlower surface of the housing 102, which may beneficially prevent theconduits 110 from being damaged, and/or enable more surface area of theconduits 110 to be exposed and allow more efficient air treatment. Insome embodiments, the couplers 112 a/b are rotatably coupled to the endportions of each conduit 110. As shown in FIG. 1B, the reactor module100 includes two rows of conduits 110 and the housing 102 includes twocorresponding holders 111 a/b. In other embodiments, the reactor module100 can include additional rows of conduits 110 and the housing 102 caninclude additional corresponding holders 111 a/b. Relatedly, theillustrated embodiment includes five conduits 110 per row. In otherembodiments, the number of conduits 110 of each row can be more or less,e.g., depending on the required air throughput of the reactor module100.

The panel member 108 can be proximate the inlet 103 a and proximal tothe UV light sources 120 and/or conduits 110. The panel member 108 cancomprise aluminum, plastic, and/or other semi-rigid materials. In someembodiments, including the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 1B, the panelmember 108 can span an entire height and/or lateral width of the housing102 such that all or a majority of air flowing through the reactormodule 100 passes through the panel member 108. As explained elsewhereherein (e.g., with regard to FIGS. 5A and 5B), the panel member 108 caninclude a plurality of holes or openings 109 extending through the panelmember 108, each defining a channel or path for air to flow through. Theholes 109 can have a circular, ovular, hexagonal, or other shapeconfigured to increase an exposed surface area for the air flowingtherethrough to contact. The panel member 108 and/or holes 109 providemultiple benefits to the reactor module 100. For example, the panelmember 108 can entirely or partially block UV light emitted from the UVlight source 120 from emanating proximally of the panel member 108 andthus exposing a user to such UV light. As another example, the holes 109can cause air flow to be more evenly distributed across a height and/orwidth of the panel member 108, e.g., to upper, lower and/or lateral endportions of the panel member 108, which can help ensure air flow is notconcentrated in an intermediate region of the reactor module 100.Distributing the air flow in such a manner can enable more air to betreated and thus improve contaminant removal efficiency.

In some embodiments, the panel member 108 and/or the holes 109 of thepanel member 108 can comprise a catalyst and/or photocatalytic material,such as titanium dioxide (e.g., pure titanium dioxide), or titaniumdioxide doped with (i) metals ions such as noble metals (Au, Pd, Pt),(ii) rare earth metals (Sc, Y) transition metals (Mn, Fe, Cu), or (iii)non-metals ions such as carbon, nitrogen or sulphur. Combinationsthereof are also possible. For example, a first portion of the panelmember may comprise pure titanium dioxide and a second, differentportion may comprise titanium dioxide doped with a rare earth metal. Insome embodiments, the photocatalytic material can comprise a porousmaterial such as organic ligands, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs),and/or cage molecules. Such porous materials can include a centralcavity void sized to selectively target and remove undesirablecontaminants (e.g., the contaminants disclosed elsewhere herein) fromthe air. In such embodiments, all or portions of the panel member 108can be coated with the catalyst(s) and/or photocatalytic material(s). Inoperation, air flow through the panel member 108 can sterilize the air,or enable the air becoming sterilized, e.g., by removing certaincontaminants such as viruses, bacteria, mold, fungi, and allergens,amongst other contaminants. For example, the catalyst can cause hydroxylradicals to form on surfaces of the panel member 108 which, incombination with the UV light sources 120, can enable these contaminantsto be removed. In some embodiments, the panel member 108 can be omitted.In other embodiments, multiple panel members 108 can be included. Forexample, when multiple panel members 108 are included, the panel members108 can be proximate (e.g., abut) one another and proximal to the UVlight sources 120. As another example, one panel member 108 can beproximal to the UV light sources 120 adjacent the inlet 103 a andanother panel member 108 can be distal to the UV light sources 120adjacent the outlet 103 b.

As explained in additional detail elsewhere herein (e.g., with referenceto FIGS. 6A and 6B), the housing 102 can include an interior surface 130that comprises or is at least partially coated with a reflectivematerial (e.g., chrome or chromium). Such a material can help ensure theUV rays emanated from the UV light sources 120 are reflected andmaintained within the housing 102 and/or not radiated outside thehousing 102. In doing so, the reactor module 100 can more efficientlydestroy contaminants, as the likelihood that UV wavelengths emanatedfrom the UV light sources come in contact with and destroy contaminantsis increased.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are side views of the conduits 110 of the reactor moduleof FIG. 1A. All or portions of the conduits 110 can comprise and/or becoated with a catalyst and/or photocatalytic material such as titaniumdioxide (e.g., pure titanium dioxide), or titanium dioxide doped with(i) metals ions such as noble metals (Au, Pd, Pt), (ii) rare earthmetals (Sc, Y) transition metals (Mn, Fe, Cu), or (iii) non-metals ionssuch as carbon, nitrogen or sulphur. Combinations thereof are alsopossible. For example, one of the conduits 110 may comprise puretitanium dioxide and a another one of the conduits 110 may comprisetitanium dioxide doped with a rare earth metal. In some embodiments, thetitanium dioxide can comprise rutile titanium dioxide and/or anatasetitanium dioxide, and/or the titanium dioxide can comprise less than 5%,4%, 3%, 2.5%, or 2% by weight of the solution. Additionally oralternatively, in such embodiments including titanium dioxide, theamount of anatase titanium dioxide can be at least 60%, 65%, 70%, 75%,80%, 85%, or 90% by weight, with the balance being rutile titaniumdioxide. In some embodiments, the amount of anatase titanium dioxide canbe within a range of 60-90%, 65-80%, 65-75%, or 68-72% by weight, withthe balance being rutile titanium dioxide. The catalyst and/orphotocatalytic material can be applied to the conduits via spray or dipcoating, as described elsewhere herein (e.g., with reference to FIG. 3).In such embodiments, all or portions of the conduits 110 can compriseand/or be coated with the catalyst(s) and/or photocatalytic material(s).

In operation and without being bound by theory, when the photocatalyticmaterial receives light wavelength less than about 387 nm (e.g., UVA,UVB and/or UVC wavelengths) photoactivation of the photocatalyticmaterial occurs and results in semiconductor properties. Specifically,the light wavelengths cause the valence band of the photocatalyticmaterial to lose an electron, enabling the valence band to react withwater in the air to produce hydroxyl radicals. Additionally, electronslost from the valence band can react with oxygen in the air to formoxide anions. The radicals exist on the surfaces comprising thephotocatalyst material, and react with and remove and/or deactivatecontaminants (e.g., viruses, bacteria, mold, fungi, VOCs, gases, andallergens) from the air via photocatalytic oxidation (PCO).

Referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B together, the conduits 110 are hollow andcan have an outer surface that defines a plurality of openings 211. Insome embodiments, the length of an individual conduit 110 can beincreased and/or multiple conduits can be connected to one anotherend-to-end as shown in FIG. 2A, e.g., to be able to treat a higher airflow through the reactor module 100 (FIGS. 1A and 1B). As shown in FIGS.2A and 2B, the conduits 110 can have a cylindrical shape and thus beround, which can enable the conduits 110 to have a larger PCO reactionarea, relative to a square pillar or a plate having the same openings.The conduits 110 can comprise plastic and be formed via injectionmolding. In some embodiments, the conduits 110 do not comprise metal.

In some embodiments, the openings 211 of the conduits 110 can have ahexagonal or honeycomb shape, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, which canincrease an exposed surface area for contaminants of the air to come incontact with. Advantageously, the hexagonal shape enables eachindividual opening 211 to complement each other hexagonal opening 211,as the border of each hexagonal opening 211 forms part of the border ofa neighboring hexagonal opening 211, while also maintaining asufficiently large opening 211. In doing so, as shown in FIG. 2B, afirst dimension (D₁) of each opening 211 can be maximized and a seconddimension (D₂) defining a border between neighboring openings 211 can beminimized. The first dimension (D₁), the second dimension (D₂), and athird dimension (D₃) corresponding to diameter of cross-sectionaldimension of the conduits 110, can be predetermined and selected tooptimize PCO reaction area of the conduits 110, while also ensuring theconduits 110 can treat enough air to support the design air volumethroughput of the reactor module 100. In some embodiments, the firstdimension (D₁) can be no more than 11 millimeters (mm), 10 mm, 9 mm, 8mm, or 7 mmor within a range of 7-11 mm, or 8-10 mm. In someembodiments, the second dimension (D₂) can be no more than 6 mm, 5 mm, 4mm, 3 mm, or 2 mm, or within a range of 2-6 mm, or 3-5 mm. In someembodiments, the third dimension (D₃) can be no more than 20 mm, 18 mm,16 mm, 14 mm, or 12 mm, or within a range of 12-20 mm, or 14-18 mm. Insome embodiments, the openings 211 of the conduits 110 can have atriangular, circular, rectangular, polygonal, or shape other than ahexagonal or honeycomb.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of a method 300 for pre-treating conduits(e.g., the conduits 110) of a reactor module (e.g., the reactor module100). As previously described, a photocatalyst can be applied to theconduits to promote PCO of contaminants of the air flowing through thereactor module. Prior to applying the photocatalyst, it can beadvantageous to first reduce the surface tension of the conduits suchthat wettability or hydrophilicity of the conduits is increased and thespread ability of the photocatalyst is improved. After washing theconduits, the photocatalyst, once applied to the conduits, canappropriately harden and therein have a more pronounced photocatalyticoxidative effect during operation of the reactor module.

The method 300 can include performing a first wash of the conduits(process portion 310). The first wash can include ultrasonic washingwith water (e.g., distilled water), in which the conduits are washedusing ultrasonic waves (e.g., 20-40 kilohertz waves). This removesimpurities from the conduits and therein reduces the surface tension ofthe conduits which, as previously described, can improve wettability andhydrophilicity. The method 300 can optionally include performing asecond wash of the conduits after the first wash (process portion 315).The second wash can be identical to the first wash, and can ensure moreor all impurities are removed from the conduits and the surface tensionis minimized prior to applying a photocatalyst. The method 300 canfurther include drying the conduits (process portion 320) at apredetermined temperature and/or for a predetermined amount of time, toremove any moisture therefrom. In some embodiments, at this point thesurface tension may be measured prior to proceeding to applyphotocatalyst on the conduits. For example, in some embodiments thecontact angle of the surface of the conduits is measured using a liquid(e.g., water or diiodomethane), and based on the contact angle andsurface tension of the liquid, surface tension is determined. In someembodiments, a contact angles less than 15°, 10°, or 5° is considered anacceptable angle that indicates surface tension has been sufficientlyreduced and photocatalyst is ready to be applied.

The method 300 further includes, after reducing the surface tension ofthe conduits, applying photocatalyst to the conduits (process portion330). The photocatalyst can include titanium dioxide (e.g., puretitanium dioxide), or titanium dioxide doped with (i) metals ions suchas noble metals (Au, Pd, Pt), (ii) rare earth metals (Sc, Y) transitionmetals (Mn, Fe, Cu), or (iii) non-metals ions such as carbon, nitrogenor sulphur. Combinations thereof are also possible. The photocatalystcan be applied via spray coating or dip coating. With spray coating, thephotocatalyst is applied evenly over the base material and, due in partto the surface tensiontension of the conduits being reduced, can spreadnaturally over the entire conduit to ensure the surface area of theconduits is substantially covered.

The method 300 can further include measuring coating parameters (processportion 335), e.g., to determine the effectiveness of process portion330. The method 300 can further include drying the conduits afterapplying the photocatalyst (process portion 340) at a predeterminedtemperature and/or for a predetermined amount of time, to remove anymoisture therefrom.

FIG. 4A is a partially schematic view of another reactor module 400, inaccordance with embodiments of the present technology. For illustrativepurposes, the top sidewall of the housing 402 has been removed from FIG.4A. The reactor module 400 includes many of the same components asreactor module 100 described with reference to FIGS. 1A and 1B. Forexample, the reactor module 400 includes the panel member 108, conduits110, and UV light sources 120 previously described. Unlike the reactormodule 100, the reactor module 400 includes columns of conduits 411a/b/c/d/e (411 a is not viewable) and columns of UV light sources 421a/b/c/d that are arranged along a height or third axis of the reactormodule 400 and thus are angled or perpendicular to the direction of airflow through the reactor module 400. Additionally, there are multiplecolumns of UV light sources 421 a/b/c/d as opposed to just one row of UVlight sources. The arrangement of the conduits 110 and the UV lightsources 120 of the reactor module 400 can advantageously enable morecontact between the air and the conduits 110, or more particularly thesurface of the conduits 110 coated with photocatalytic material, as wellas between the air and the UV light. In doing so, the reactor module canprovide improved treatment of the incoming air. Additionally, thearrangement of the conduits 110 and the UV light sources 120 of thereactor module 400 can advantageously enable a higher air throughputcapacity.

FIG. 4B is a partially schematic view of another reactor module 450, inaccordance with embodiments of the present technology. For illustrativepurposes, the top sidewall of the housing 452 has been removed from FIG.4B. The reactor module 450 includes a similar arrangement and many ofthe same components/features as the reactor module 400 described withreference to FIG. 4A. For example, the reactor module 450 includes theconduits 110 arranged in columns 451 a/b, UV light sources 120 arrangedin columns 461 a/b along a height or third axis of the reactor module450 and sandwiched between the conduit columns 451 a/b, and a firstpanel member 108 proximal to the first column of conduits 451 a.Additionally, the reactor module 450 includes a second panel member 108disposed between adjacent UV light sources 120 and/or conduits 110. Insome embodiments, the reactor module 450 may only include the secondpanel member 108 and omit the first panel member 108 proximal to thefirst column of conduits 451 a. The second panel member 108 can includeall or some of the features of the panel member previously described.For example, the second panel member 108 can comprise aluminum and spanan entire height and/or lateral width of the housing 452. Additionally,the second panel member 108 can include a plurality of holes andcomprise a photocatalyst material, as described elsewhere herein.Advantageously, the second panel member 108 can promote treatmentefficacy of the reactor module 450 and/or sterilization of the airflowing through the reactor module 450, as well as ensure air flow isnot concentrated in an intermediate region of the reactor module 450.

FIGS. 5A and 5B are partially schematic isometric and top views,respectively, of the panel member 108 of the reactor module of FIG. 1A.As previously described, the panel member 108 can include a plurality ofholes or openings 109 extending through the panel member 108, eachdefining paths for air to flow through. Additionally, the panel member108 and/or the holes 109 of the panel member 108 can comprise a catalystand/or photocatalytic material, such that air flow through the panelmember 108 that contacts the photocatalytic material can be sterilizedvia reactions between contaminants in the air and the hydroxyl freeradicals present on the surface of the panel member 108. As shown inFIG. 5B, the path through the panel member 108 can include a change indirection, e.g., at a midline or intermediate region 510 of the panelmember 108. For example, the path through the panel member 108 caninclude travel in a first direction, as indicated by arrow (A₁), andthen travel in a second direction, as indicated by arrow (A₂), whereinthe second direction is different from and angled relative to the firstdirection. The change in direction can help ensure more contact betweenthe air and the photocatalytic material of the panel member 108. Also,the change in direction can direct UV light toward a side wall of thereactor module and thus limit UV light exposure at the distal outlet endof the reactor module. In some embodiments, the path through the panelmember is straight and does not include a change in direction as shownin FIG. 5B.

As previously mentioned, the housing (e.g., the housing 102; FIGS. 1Aand 1B) of a reactor module can include an interior surface 130 thatcomprises or is at least partially coated with a reflective material(e.g., chrome or chromium). Such a reflective material can help ensurethe light rays emanated from the UV light sources of the reactor moduleare reflected and maintained within the housing and/or not radiatedoutside the reactor module. In doing so, the reactor module 100 can moreefficiently destroy contaminants in the air, as the likelihood that UVwavelengths emanated from the UV light sources come in contact with anddestroy contaminants is significantly increased. FIG. 6A is a partiallyschematic view illustrating the path of light emitted in a reactormodule that does not include an internal reflective surface, and FIG.6B, in accordance with embodiments of the present technology, is apartially schematic view illustrating the path of light emitted in areactor module that includes a reflective surface. As shown in FIG. 6A,which assumes that an internal surface 630 of a housing 602 does notinclude a reflective surface, the only light emitted by the UV lightsource able to destroy a contaminant is the light emitted directlytoward the contaminant. That is, light emitted in any other directionwould be absorbed by the internal surface 630 and thus not reflectedwithin the housing. As shown in FIG. 6B, which illustrates the housing102 and internal reflective surface 130, as described with reference toFIG. 1B, light emitted from the UV light source 120 in any direction isreflected within the housing 102, e.g., until coming in contact with acontaminant. As shown by Reaction 1, the reflective surface 130 of thehousing 102 can increase the sterilization rate of the reactor module.

S=exp(^(−E*t)/_(Q))   (Reaction 1)

wherein:

-   -   S=sterilization rate    -   E=UV strength (mW/cm²)    -   t=reaction time (seconds)    -   Q=amount of UV radiation or UV irradiance        Each variable of Reaction 1 is improved due to the reflective        internal surface 130 of the housing. For example, E (UV        strength) and Q (UV irradiance) are each increased via multiple        reflections of a UV light. Also, t (reaction time) is increased        as contaminants collide with the conduits of the reactor module.        Accordingly, the reflectiveness of the internal surface can        significantly improve the ability of the reactor module to        destroy contaminants in an efficient manner.

FIG. 7A is a partially schematic isometric view of a wind guide assembly750 coupled to a reactor module 700, and FIG. 7B is a partiallyschematic side cross-sectional view of the wind guide assembly 750 andreactor module of FIG. 7A. Referring to FIGS. 7A and 7B together, thereactor module 700 includes many of the components described withreference to FIGS. 1A and 1B. The wind guide assembly 750 includes awind guide member and/or silencer 714 positioned downstream of theconduits 110 and/or UV light source 120 of the reactor module 700, and acover 716 coupled to the housing 102 at or near an outlet of the housing102. The wind guide member 714 can have an exterior surface thatconforms and is complementary to a corresponding abutting interiorsurface of the cover 716. In some embodiments, the wind guide member 714is positioned adjacent the cover 716 such that air from the housing 102is directed and flows between the wind guide member 714 and the interiorsurface of the cover 716. As shown in FIG. 7B, the wind guide member 714can include one or more holes or openings 718, and a sound absorbingmaterial capable of absorbing noise and thus at least partiallysilencing noise resulting from air flow and general operation of thereactor module 100. In some embodiments the wind guide member 714 orportions thereof can be coated with a paint configured to absorb UVlight emitted from the UV light source 120, e.g., to ensure UV light isinhibited or prevented from traveling distal to the cover 716 and theuser is not exposed to the UV light.

The wind guide member 714 can have a rhombus or other shape that enablesthe wind guide member 714 to be disposed within an interior portion ofthe cover 716 and adjacent the conduits 110 and/or UV light sources 120.The rhombus shape can, for example, reduce wind resistance relative toother shapes, and direct the air flow toward the interior ceilingsurface of the cover 716. In doing so, the wind guide member 714 and/orthe positioning of the wind guide member 714 relative to the cover 716,can enable discharged air flow that is able to travel along ceilingsurfaces external to the air treatment device including the reactormodule 100, a phenomenon often referred to as the Coanda effect. Stateddifferently, the discharged treated air stream from the cover 716 canentrain air molecules in the immediately surrounding area and create alow-pressure region, which in turn can stabilize the air stream andallow it flow in a substantially straight line for longer distancesunder laminar flow conditions. The longer distances traveled for the airflow enable more throughput through the reactor module 100, and thusallow more of the air surrounding the air treatment device including thereactor module 100 to be treated.

The cover 716 can coupled to an outlet portion of the housing 102 andsurrounds at least a portion of the wind guide member 714. As such, thecover 716 is configured to receive purified and/or sterilized air thathas passed through the housing 702. In some embodiments, the cover 716can be at least partially coated with a paint configured to absorb UVlight from the UV light sources 120. Such paint can ensure UV light isinhibited or prevented from emanating outside the reactor module 100.The cover 716 can have a cross-sectional dimension that decreases in adirection away from the housing 702. Without being bound by theory,decreasing the cross-sectional dimension in such a manner, incombination with other features of the reactor module 100 describedelsewhere herein, can aid in (i) decreasing and/or minimizing noise fromthe reactor module 100 and (ii) increasing the velocity and pressure ofthe air flow discharged from the cover 716, thereby enabling bettercirculation of the air flow within the external environment where thetreated air is discharged.

FIG. 7C is a partially schematic cross-sectional view illustrating airflow through the reactor module of FIG. 7A, in accordance withembodiments of the present technology. As shown in FIG. 7C, air entersthe reactor module 100 at an inlet of the housing 702, extending through(i) an intermediate region of the housing vertically between the rows ofconduits 110 and where the UV light sources 129 are disposed, and (ii)upper and lower regions of the housing 702 peripheral to theintermediate region where the conduits 110 are disposed. Air flowingthrough these upper, intermediate, and lower regions are sterilized,e.g., by the combination of the photocatalytic effect of the conduits110 and the UV light 120. Air flowing through the intermediate regionsencounters the wind guide member 714 which guides the air toward the airpassing through the upper and lower regions, thereby causing the airflows to mix. The mixed air is then guided toward an outlet at thedistal end of the cover 716, which has a distally decreasingcross-sectional dimension. As the air approaches the distal end of thecover 716, the air flow is forced into a smaller cross-sectional areasuch that the air flow exits the cover 116 as a plurality of parallelair streams exhibiting laminar flow. As also previously described, thedischarged treat air from the cover 716 can then entrain air moleculesin the immediately surrounding area and create a low pressure region,which in turn can stabilize the air stream and allow it flow in asubstantially straight line for longer distances. The longer distancestraveled for the air flow enable more throughput through the reactormodule 100, and thus allow more of the air surrounding the reactormodule 100 to be treated.

FIG. 8A is a partially schematic cross-sectional view of a wind guideassembly 850 coupled to the reactor module 800, and FIG. 8B is apartially schematic side cross-sectional view of the wind guide assembly850 and reactor module of FIG. 8A. The reactor module 800 is generallysimilar to the reactor module 700 described with reference to FIGS.7A-7C. The wind guide assembly 850 is similar to the wind guide assembly750 described with reference to FIGS. 7A-7C, but differs at least inthat the single wind guide member 714 is replaced with multiple guidemembers 814 a/b/c (collectively referred to as guide members 814). Theguide members 814 can be physically smaller than the guide member 714,but otherwise can have all of the features and functionality of the windguide member 714. Additionally, the guide member 714 can have all of thefeatures and functionality of the guide members 814. As shown in FIGS.8A and 8B, the guide members 814 can be arranged adjacent one another todefine one or more air channels therebetween. In some embodiments, theguide members 814 can abut one another such that no air channels areformed therebetween and air is forced toward peripheral (e.g., upper andlower) regions of the cover 716. In some embodiments, the guide members814 can be positioned entirely within the cover 716 downstream of thehousing 102. Relative to just a single wind guide member, as shown anddescribed in FIGS. 7A-7C, the guide members 814 of FIGS. 8A and 8B canhave an increased overall surface area and thus enable enhancedsilencing and noise reduction. As shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, there arethree guide members 814 a/b/c coupled to the reactor module 800.However, in other embodiments, more (e.g., 4, 5, 6, etc.) or less guidemembers 814 may be used.

FIG. 9 is a partially schematic cross-sectional side view of an airtreatment system or device 905 including a filter 910, a fan 920, andone or more reactor modules 900, in accordance with embodiments of thepresent technology. The reactor modules 900 can correspond to thereactor modules 100, 400 or 700, as well as other reactor modulesdescribed elsewhere herein. The filter 910 can be configured to receiveair from the ambient environment and can filter out a desired particlesize depending on the end use or application of the system 905. Thefilter 910 can include one or more of a high efficiency particulate air(HEPA) filter, a medium filter, a carbon filter, and/or a pretreatmentfilter, as well as other filters commonly known in the art. The fan 920can correspond to one or more fans (e.g., two fans, three fans, etc.)and is positioned downstream of the filter 910. The fan 920 can providethe driving force for pulling air through the filter 910 and pushing airtoward and through the reactor modules 900.

As shown in FIG. 9, the system 905 can be positioned adjacent or mountedto a ceiling or wall 902. Positioning the system 905 as such can enabledischarged air flow to travel along ceiling surfaces external to the airtreatment system 905 via the Coanda effect. As previously described, thedischarged treated air from the reactor module 900 can entrain airmolecules in the immediately surrounding area and create a low-pressureregion, which in turn can stabilize the air and allow it flow in asubstantially straight line for longer distances under laminar flowconditions. The longer distances traveled for the air flow enable morethroughput through the reactor modules 900, and thus allow more of theair surrounding the air treatment system 905 to be treated.

In some embodiments, the filter 910, fan 920, and reactor modules 900are configured in different arrangements. For example, the fan 920 maybe upstream of the reactor module(s) 900, and the reactor module(s) maybe upstream of the filter 910. Additionally or alternatively, in someembodiments, the filter 910, fan 920, and reactor modules 900 arearranged in a vertical arrangement, such that air is fed to the system905 at a base or lower region and treated air is provided from thesystem 905 at an upper region. For example, the system 905 can comprisea stand, e.g., that is portable and can be easily moved around an indoorenvironment.

FIGS. 10A-10F are partially schematic views of various arrangements of afan 920 coupled to one or more of the reactor modules 900, in accordancewith embodiments of the present technology. FIG. 10A shows the fan 920coupled to a single module 900. FIG. 10B shows the fan 920 coupled totwo modules 900 extending from the fan 920 in opposite directions (e.g.,as shown in FIG. 9). FIG. 10C shows the fan 920 coupled to four modules900 in which each of the modules are angled approximately 90 degreesrelative to adjacent modules. FIG. 10D shows the fan 920 coupled to sixmodules angled relative to adjacent modules. FIG. 10E shows the fan 920coupled to two modules 900 angled approximately 90 degrees relative toone another. FIG. 10F shows the fan 920 coupled to three modules 900angled approximately 90 degrees relative to one another. Depending onthe end use or application of the fan 920 and module(s) 900, one or moreof FIGS. 10A-10F may be utilized. For example, the configuration of FIG.10B may optimally be mounted along a straight wall in an elongate room,FIG. 10D may optimally be mounted in the center of a large room, andFIG. 10E may optimally be mounted in the corner of a room. It is worthnoting that FIGS. 10A-10F represent but a few examples of possibleconfigurations, as many other configurations are possible and dependupon the desired end use application of the user.

FIG. 11 is a partially schematic isometric view of two stackable reactormodules 100, in accordance with embodiments of the present technology.As shown in FIG. 11, a first reactor module 100 is stacked on top on asecond, identical reactor module 100. In the stacked configuration,elements of each of the modules 100 can be aligned to enable them to besecured to one another, e.g., via fasteners (not shown). The ability tocouple reactor modules 100 to one another, e.g., in a stackablearrangement, enables increased photocatalytic surface area for the airto contact, which improves reaction time and efficacy of thecorresponding air treatment device.

FIG. 12A is a partially schematic side view of an air sterilizationsystem or device 1205, and FIG. 12B is a partially schematic explodedview of the air sterilization system 1205. For illustrative purposes,the housing of the air sterilization system 1205 has been removed fromFIG. 12B. As shown in FIG. 12B, the air sterilization system 1205includes a first connection port 1202, a first flange 1204 coupled tothe first connection port, one or more filters 1208 disposed proximatethe filter 1208 (e.g., a HEPA filter, a medium filter, a carbon filter,and/or a pretreatment filter), a casing 1210 at least partiallysurrounding the filter 1208 and coupled to the first flange 1204, one ormore reactor modules 1200 (e.g., the reactor module 100, 400, or 700)having a first end portion coupled to the casing 1210, a second flange1216 coupled to a second end portion of the reactor modules 1200, athird flange 1218 coupled to the second flange 1216, and a secondconnection port 1220. The air sterilization system 1205 can be coupledto a fan that can be coupled to either the first port 1202 or the secondport 1220. In doing so, air flow through the air sterilization system1205 can travel from the first port 1202 to the second port 1220, orvice versa from the second port 1220 to the first port 1202.

For example, FIG. 13 is a partially schematic side view of an airtreatment system or device 1305 including the air sterilization system1205 of FIG. 12A coupled to a fan 1320. As shown in FIG. 13, the fan1320 is coupled to the second port 1220. The fan 1320 can be configuredto rotate in multiple directions which can dictate the direction of airflow through the air sterilization system 1205. For example, when thefan 1320 rotates in a first direction, air flow is forced through thesecond port 1220 toward the first port 1205, and when the fan 1320rotates in a second, opposite direction, air flow is pulled from thefirst port 1205 toward the second port 1220. In some embodiments, it ispreferred to position the fan 1320 at the inlet end of the system 1305,as opposed to the outlet end, such that turbulence of the airflow fromthe fan 1320 can be mitigated via flow through reactor module(s) 100 andthe treated air exiting the system 1305 has a more laminar flow profile.

FIG. 14A is a partially schematic isometric view of a treatment module1400, and FIG. 14B is a schematic isometric exploded view of thetreatment module 1400. The treatment module 1400 can be coupled to thereactor module 100 described elsewhere herein. In some embodiments, thetreatment module 1400 can be stacked on top of the reactor module 100,such that the treatment module 1400 is positioned to receive treated airfrom the outlet of the reactor module 100 and provide air passingthrough the treatment module 1400 to the ambient environment. Thetreatment module 1400 can have conforming structural features thatcomplement corresponding structure features of the reactor module 100and therein enable the treatment module 1400 to be secured to thereactor module 100.

As shown in FIG. 14B, the treatment module 1400 can include a housing1402 and a plurality of noise mitigating members 1404 disposed withinthe housing 1402. The housing 1402 can have a shape similar to that ofthe reactor module 100 to enable the treatment module 1400 to be coupledor stacked directly on the reactor module 100. The noise mitigatingmembers 1404 can be disposed within the housing 1402 such that adjacentnoise members 1404 are spaced apart from one another and therein definechannels 1408 to direct air flow received (e.g., from the reactor module100) through the housing 1402. The channels 1408 can be substantiallyplanar and configured to provide laminar air flow conditions byproviding an elongate pathway and/or by decreasing the cross-sectionaldimension of the air flow along the direction of airflow. Decreasing thecross-sectional dimension in such a manner can aid in (i) decreasingand/or minimizing noise from the treatment module 1400 and (ii)increasing the velocity and pressure of the air flow discharged from thetreatment module 1400, thereby enabling better circulation of the airflow within the external environment where the treated air isdischarged.

The noise members 1404 can include one or more holes or openings 1406,and sound absorbing material 1408, e.g., disposed at least partiallywithin the holes 1406. The sound absorbing material 1408 is capable ofabsorbing and at least partially silencing noise resulting from air flowand general operation of the treatment module 1400. As shown in FIGS.14A and 14B, the noise members 1404 can be elongate members (e.g.,plates) having substantially vertical sidewalls 1410 and inlet andoutlet portions that having angled (e.g., outwardly facing) surfaces1412, 1414. Such surfaces 1412 at the inlet portion can force theincoming air into a smaller cross-section, thereby promoting anincreased pressure and the velocity of the air stream. Doing so canstabilize the air stream and allow it flow in a substantially straightline upon exit from the treatment module 1400 for longer distances,e.g., under laminar flow conditions. The longer distances traveled forthe air flow can enable more throughput through the modules 100, 1400,and thus allow more of the air surrounding the modules 100, 1400 to betreated (e.g., sterilized and/or purified). As described elsewhereherein, the discharged air flows are able to travel along adjacentsurfaces (e.g., ceilings or walls) external to the module 1400 andutilize the Coanda effect. Moreover, the discharged purified and/orsterilized air stream from the treatment module 1400, or correspondingair treatment device, can then entrain air molecules in the immediatelysurrounding area and create a low pressure region, which in turn canstabilize the air stream and allow it flow in a substantially straightline for longer distances. The longer distances traveled for the airflow enable more throughput through the reactor modules described hereinand thus allow more of the ambient air to be treated.

FIG. 15 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of an air sterilizationsystem or device 1500 including the treatment module 1400 coupled to thereactor modules 100, in accordance with embodiments of the presenttechnology. As shown in FIG. 15, the first reactor module 100 is stackedon the second reactor module 100, and the treatment module 1400 isstacked on the second reactor module 100. In the stacked configuration,elements of each of the reactor modules 100 and the treatment module1400 can be aligned to enable them to be secured to one another, e.g.,via fasteners (not shown). As previously described, other embodiments ofair treatment system can include more or fewer reactor modules than thatshown in FIG. 15.

FIG. 16 is a schematic isometric view of an air treatment system 1600,in accordance with embodiments of the present technology. The treatmentsystem 1600 can be a stand-type treatment system and can include afilter module 1610, a fan or blower 1620, one or more of the reactormodules 100 coupled to and downstream of the fan 1620, the noise module1400 coupled to and downstream of the reactor modules 100, and a filter1630 coupled to and downstream of the noise module 1400. The treatmentsystem 1600 can further include a display (e.g., a user interface)and/or controller 1650 for controlling operation of the system 1600and/or displaying operating conditions and outlet air quality of thesystem 1600. In some embodiments, the treatment system 1600 can furtherinclude other devices and/or components. For example, the treatmentsystem 1600 can include one or more sensors configured to detectimpurities and/or dust particles and that are coupled to the controller1650.

The filter module 1610 can receive untreated air from the ambientenvironment and can include one or more filters, including a pre-filter,carbon filter, medium filter, and/or HEPA filter. In operation, thefilter module 1610 can filter fine dust, bacteria, and/or othercontaminants, as described elsewhere herein. The number of filterswithin the filter module 1610 can be determined based on the quality ofthe ambient air and allowable pressure drop through the treatment system1600.

The fan 1620 is positioned downstream of the filter module 1610 andreceives filtered air therefrom. The fan 1620 can increase the pressureand/or flow of the air flow received from the filter module 1610. Thefan 1620 can correspond to one or more fans (e.g., two fans, three fans,etc.). The fan 1620 is positioned and configured to provide pressurizedand filtered air to the one or more reactor modules 100.

As shown in FIG. 16, the treatment system 1600 includes seven reactormodules. However, in other embodiments more or less reactor modules 100may be included, depending on the desired capacity of the treatmentsystem 1600, with more reactor modules 100 being necessary for a highercapacity of treated air. The reactor modules 100 can be substantiallysimilar or identical to one another, and stackable. The noise module1400 is positioned to receive treater and/or sterilized air from themost downstream reactor module 100, and to at least partially silencethe air stream, e.g., via the noise members 1404 (FIG. 14) as previouslydescribed. The filter 1630 is coupled to the noise module 1400 andpositioned to receive the at least partially silenced air. The filter1630 can include a urethane carbon filter, and/or other types of filtersdepending on a desired application for the treatment system 1600.

III. Conclusion

It will be apparent to those having skill in the art that changes may bemade to the details of the above-described embodiments without departingfrom the underlying principles of the present disclosure. In some cases,well known structures and functions have not been shown or described indetail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the description of theembodiments of the present technology. Although steps of methods may bepresented herein in a particular order, alternative embodiments mayperform the steps in a different order. Similarly, certain aspects ofthe present technology disclosed in the context of particularembodiments can be combined or eliminated in other embodiments.Furthermore, while advantages associated with certain embodiments of thepresent technology may have been disclosed in the context of thoseembodiments, other embodiments can also exhibit such advantages, and notall embodiments need necessarily exhibit such advantages or otheradvantages disclosed herein to fall within the scope of the technology.Accordingly, the disclosure and associated technology can encompassother embodiments not expressly shown or described herein, and theinvention is not limited except as by the appended claims.

Throughout this disclosure, the singular terms “a,” “an,” and “the”include plural referents unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.Similarly, unless the word “or” is expressly limited to mean only asingle item exclusive from the other items in reference to a list of twoor more items, then the use of “or” in such a list can be interpreted asincluding (a) any single item in the list, (b) all of the items in thelist, or (c) any combination of the items in the list. Additionally, theterm “comprising,” “including,” and “having” should be interpreted tomean including at least the recited feature(s) such that any greaternumber of the same feature and/or additional types of other features arenot precluded.

Reference herein to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “someembodiments” or similar formulations means that a particular feature,structure, operation, or characteristic described in connection with theembodiment can be included in at least one embodiment of the presenttechnology. Thus, the appearances of such phrases or formulations hereinare not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore,various particular features, structures, operations, or characteristicsmay be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.

Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing concentrations,dimensions, and other numerical values used in the specification andclaims, are to be understood as being modified in all instances by theterm “about.” Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, thenumerical parameters set forth in the following specification andattached claims are approximations that may vary depending upon thedesired properties sought to be obtained by the present technology. Atthe very least, and not as an attempt to limit the application of thedoctrine of equivalents to the scope of the claims, each numericalparameter should at least be construed in light of the number ofreported significant digits and by applying ordinary roundingtechniques. Additionally, all ranges disclosed herein are to beunderstood to encompass any and all subranges subsumed therein. Forexample, a range of “1 to 10” includes any and all subranges between(and including) the minimum value of 1 and the maximum value of 10,i.e., any and all subranges having a minimum value of equal to orgreater than 1 and a maximum value of equal to or less than 10, e.g.,5.5 to 10.

The disclosure set forth above is not to be interpreted as reflecting anintention that any claim requires more features than those expresslyrecited in that claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect,inventive aspects lie in a combination of fewer than all features of anysingle foregoing disclosed embodiment. Thus, the claims following thisDetailed Description are hereby expressly incorporated into thisDetailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separateembodiment. This disclosure includes all permutations of the independentclaims with their dependent claims.

The present technology is illustrated, for example, according to variousexamples described below. Various examples of the present technology aredescribed as numbered clauses 1, 2, 3, etc.) for convenience. These areprovided as examples and do not limit the present technology. It isnoted that any of the dependent clauses may be combined in anycombination, and placed into a respective independent clause

-   -   1. A reactor module configured to treat air, the reactor module        comprising:    -   a housing having an inner surface, an inlet, an outlet opposite        the inlet, a length dimension defining a first axis extending        from the inlet to the outlet, and a width dimension defining a        second axis perpendicular to the first axis;    -   an ultraviolet (UV) light source disposed within the housing,        the UV light source extending in a lateral direction parallel to        the second axis; and    -   a plurality of hollow elongate conduits disposed within the        housing and peripheral to the UV light source, individual        conduits extending in the lateral direction parallel to the        second axis and including a plurality of holes,    -   wherein the inner surface of the housing comprises a reflective        material such that, in operation,

UV light emitted from the UV light source is reflected internally withinthe housing.

2. The reactor module of any one of the clauses herein, wherein thereflective surface comprises chrome or chromium.

3. The reactor module of any one of the clauses herein, wherein theconduits are coated with a solution comprising titanium dioxide.

4. The reactor module of clause 3, wherein the solution comprisesbetween 2-4% by weight titanium dioxide.

5. The reactor module of any one of the clauses herein, wherein theindividual conduits are cylindrical and are made from a non-metalmaterial, and wherein an outer surface of the conduits comprising aplurality of holes.

6. The reactor module of clause 5, wherein the holes have a hexagonalshape, and wherein a maximum dimension of any one of individual holes isno more than 10 millimeters (mm) and the individual holes are spacedapart from neighboring individual holes by no more than 4 mm.

7. The reactor module of any one of the clauses herein, furthercomprising a panel member that extends along an entire height dimensionand width dimension of the housing and is disposed along the first axisproximal to the conduits, wherein at least a portion of the panel memberis coated with a photocatalytic material.

8. The reactor module of clause 7, wherein the panel member includes aplurality of openings defining corresponding channels configured toreceive untreated air from the inlet of the housing, wherein thechannels include a first portion extending in a first directionextending toward the outlet and a second portion extending from anddistal to the first portion, the second portion extending in a seconddirection toward the outlet and being angled relative to the firstdirection.

9. The reactor module of any one of the clauses herein, wherein theconduits include a first set of conduits arranged in a row on a firstside of the UV light sources and a second set of conduits arranged in arow on a second side of the UV light source opposite the first side, thefirst set of conduits and the second set of conduits being disposedwithin the housing along the first axis.

10. The reactor module of any one of the clauses herein, wherein:

the UV light source includes a first set of UV light sources arranged ina first UV column and a second set of UV light sources arranged in asecond UV column,

the conduits include a first set of conduits arranged in a first conduitcolumn proximal to the first UV column, a second set of conduits distalto the first UV column and proximal to the second UV column, and a thirdset of conduits distal to the second UV column, and

the first UV column, the second UV column, the first conduit column, thesecond conduit column, and the third conduit column are each disposedwithin the housing along a third axis perpendicular to the first axisand the second axis.

11. The reactor module of any one of the clauses herein, wherein the UVlight source includes at least (i) a first UV light source, (ii) asecond UV light source distal to the first UV light source andvertically offset from the first UV light source, and (iii) a third UVlight source distal to the second UV light source and vertically offsetfrom the second UV light source.

12. The reactor module of any one of the clauses herein, wherein the UVlight source is configured to emit at least one of UVB wavelengths of280-315 nanometers (nm) or UVC wavelengths of 100-280 nm.

13. The reactor module of any one of the clauses herein, wherein thehousing includes opposing sidewalls having (i) holes configured toreceive the UV light source and (ii) holders configured to receive endportions of the conduits, the holders being peripheral to holes on thesidewalls

14. The reactor module of any one of the clauses herein, wherein thelength dimension of the housing is smaller than the width dimension ofthe housing.

15. An air treatment device, comprising:

one or more reactor modules, wherein individual reactor modulescomprise—

-   -   a housing having an inner surface, an inlet, an outlet opposite        the inlet, a length dimension defining a first axis extending        from the inlet to the outlet, and a width dimension defining a        second axis perpendicular to the first axis;    -   an ultraviolet (UV) light source disposed within the housing,        the UV light source extending in a lateral direction parallel to        the second axis; and    -   a plurality of hollow elongate conduits disposed within the        housing and peripheral to the UV light source, individual        conduits extending in the lateral direction parallel to the        second axis and including a plurality of holes,    -   wherein the inner surface of the housing comprises a reflective        material such that, in operation, UV light emitted from the UV        light source is reflected internally within the housing,

a fan in fluid communication with the reactor module; and

a filter in fluid communication with the reactor module.

16. The air treatment device of any one of the clauses herein, furthercomprising a panel member that extends along an entire height dimensionand width dimension of the housing and is disposed along the first axisproximal to the conduits, wherein at least a portion of the panel memberis coated with a photocatalytic material.

17. The air treatment device of any one of the clauses herein, whereinthe one or more reactor modules includes a first reactor module, and asecond reactor module stackable on the first reactor module.

18. The air treatment device of any one of the clauses herein, furthercomprising a treatment module distal to the one or more reactor modulesand positioned to receive air therefrom, the treatment module includinga housing, a plurality of noise mitigating members disposed within thetreatment module housing and spaced apart from one another to defineelongate channels, wherein the channels are configured to direct the airfrom an inlet of the treatment module to an outlet of the treatmentmodule.

19. The air treatment device of any one of the clauses herein, whereinthe reactor module housing and the treatment module housing each has thesame square or rectangular shape.

20. The air treatment device of any one of the clauses herein, whereinthe reactor modules include at least two reactor modules stacked on topof one another, the treatment module being stacked on top of anoutermost one of the three reactor modules.

21. The air treatment device of any one of the clauses herein, whereinthe noise mitigating members each comprises a plurality of holes, and asound absorbing material disposed within at least some of the holes, thenoise mitigating members being configured to reduce sound output fromthe air treatment device.

22. The air treatment device of any one of the clauses herein, whereinthe noise mitigating members and the channels extend along the firstaxis, and wherein individual channels include an inlet region having afirst cross-sectional dimension and an intermediate region downstream ofthe inlet region having a second cross-sectional dimension smaller thanthe first cross-sectional dimension.

23. The air treatment device of any one of the clauses herein, wherein:

the fan is upstream of the one or more reactor modules; and

the filter is downstream of the one or more reactor modules, the filterincluding one or more of a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA)filter, a medium filter, a carbon filter, and/or a pretreatment filter.

24. The air treatment device of any one of the clauses herein, furthercomprising a wind guide assembly distal to the one or more reactormodules and positioned to receive air therefrom, the wind guide assemblyincluding a cover, and a guide member disposed at least partially withinand proximal to the cover.

25. The air treatment device of clause 24, wherein the cover includes across-sectional dimension that decreases in a distal direction.

26. A reactor module configured to treat air flowing therethrough, thereactor module comprising:

a housing having an inlet at a first end, an outlet at a second endopposite the first end, and sidewalls extending from the inlet to theoutlet along a first axis, the housing having a first dimension alongthe first axis and a second dimension along a second axis perpendicularto the first axis, wherein the second dimension is longer than the firstdimension;

an ultraviolet (UV) light source disposed within the housing, the UVlight source extending between opposing ones of the sidewalls and in adirection parallel to the second axis; and

a plurality of hollow elongate conduits disposed within the housing andextending between the opposing sidewalls, wherein the individualconduits (i) are radially outward of the UV light source, (ii) extend ina direction parallel to the second axis, and (iii) include a pluralityof holes each having a polygon shape.

27. The reactor module of any one of the clauses herein, wherein thehousing has an inner surface comprising a reflective material such that,in operation, UV light emitted from the UV light source is reflectedinternally within the housing.

28. The reactor module of any one of the clauses herein, wherein thehousing has an inner surface comprising a reflective material comprisingchrome or chromium, and wherein the UV light source is configured toemit at least one of UVB wavelengths of 280-315 nanometers (nm) or UVCwavelengths of 100-280 nm.

29. The reactor module of any one of the clauses herein, wherein theconduits are coated with a solution comprising between 2-4% by weighttitanium dioxide, the titanium dioxide including no more than 80% byweight anatase titanium dioxide and a balance of rutile titaniumdioxide.

30. The reactor module of any one of the clauses herein, wherein theholes of the individual conduits have a hexagonal shape, and wherein theconduits comprise a plastic material.

31. A method of treating conduits to be used in an air treatment device,the method comprising:

washing the conduits using ultrasonic waves;

drying the washed conduits at a first predetermined temperature for afirst predetermined amount of time;

applying a photocatalyst to the conduits; and

after applying the photocatalyst, drying the conduits at a secondpredetermined temperature for a second predetermined amount of time.

32. The method of any one of the clauses herein, wherein applying thephotocatalyst comprising spray coating or dip coating the photocatalyst.

33.The method of any one of the clauses herein, further comprising,prior to drying the conduits at the second predetermined temperature andafter applying the photocatalyst, measuring coating parameters of theconduits.

34. The method of any one of the clauses herein, further comprising,prior to applying the photocatalyst, measuring a contact angleassociated with a surface tension of the conduits.

35. The method of any one of the clauses herein, further comprising,prior to drying the washed conduits, washing the washed conduits asecond time using ultrasonic waves.

I/We claim:
 1. A reactor module configured to treat air, the reactor module comprising: a housing having a length dimension defining a first axis and a width dimension defining a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, wherein, in operation, air flowing through the housing passes is in a direction along the first axis; a light source configured to provide ultraviolet (UV) light, wherein at least a portion of the light source is disposed within the housing; and a plurality of hollow conduits including a first conduit and a second conduit, wherein the first conduit is on a first side of the UV light source and the second conduit is on a second side of the UV light source, the second side being opposite the first side.
 2. The reactor module of claim 1, wherein the light source extends along the second axis.
 3. The reactor module of claim 1, wherein the first conduit and the second conduit are parallel to one another and extend along the second axis.
 4. The reactor module of claim 1, wherein the housing has an inner reflective surface comprising chrome and/or chromium.
 5. The reactor module of claim 1, wherein the first conduit is coated with a solution comprising titanium dioxide.
 6. The reactor module of claim 5, wherein the solution comprises between 2-4% by weight titanium dioxide.
 7. The reactor module of claim 1, wherein the first conduit is cylindrical, elongate, and made from a non-metal material, and wherein the first conduit comprises a plurality of holes.
 8. The reactor module of claim 7, wherein individual ones of the holes have a hexagonal shape, and wherein a maximum dimension of any one of the holes is no more than 10 millimeters (mm) and the individual holes are spaced apart from neighboring individual holes by no more than 6 mm.
 9. The reactor module of claim 1, further comprising a panel member that extends along a majority of a height dimension and the width dimension of the housing, wherein the panel extends along the first axis and is upstream to the conduits along the direction of air flow.
 10. The reactor module of claim 1, wherein the first conduit is one of a first set of conduits and the second conduit is one of a second set of conduits, and wherein the first set and second set of conduits extend within the housing along the first axis.
 11. A reactor module configured to treat air, the reactor module comprising: a housing having one or more sidewalls, a length dimension defining a first axis, and a width dimension defining a second axis perpendicular to the first axis, wherein, in operation, air flowing through the housing passes in a direction along the first axis; a light source configured to provide ultraviolet (UV) light, wherein at least a portion of the light source is disposed within the housing; and elongate conduits disposed within the housing, wherein the one or more sidewalls of the housing includes first holes configured to receive the light source and second holes configured to receive the conduits.
 12. The reactor module of claim 11, wherein the light source extends along the second axis.
 13. The reactor module of claim 11, wherein the conduits are parallel to one another and extend along the second axis.
 14. The reactor module of claim 1, wherein the length dimension of the housing is smaller than the width dimension of the housing.
 15. The reactor module of claim 11, wherein the light source is configured to emit at least one of UVB wavelengths of 280-315 nanometers (nm) or UVC wavelengths of 100-280 nm.
 16. The reactor module of claim 11, wherein: the light source includes a first set of light sources arranged in a first lighting column and a second set of light sources arranged in a second lighting column, the conduits include a first set of conduits arranged in a first conduit column proximal to the first lighting column, a second set of conduits distal to the first lighting column and proximal to the second lighting column, and a third set of conduits distal to the second lighting column, and the first lighting column, the second lighting column, the first conduit column, the second conduit column, and the third conduit column are each disposed within the housing along the second axis.
 17. The reactor module of claim 11, wherein the light source includes at least (i) a first light source, (ii) a second light source distal to the first light source and vertically offset from the first light source, and (iii) a third light source distal to the second light source and vertically offset from the second light source.
 18. The reactor module of claim 11, wherein the one or more sidewalls include a first sidewall and a second sidewall opposite the first sidewall, and wherein the first holes are in the first sidewall and the second sidewall.
 19. The reactor module of claim 11, wherein the housing has an inner surface comprising chrome and/or chromium such that, in operation, light emitted from the light source is reflected internally within the housing off the inner surface.
 20. The reactor module of claim 11, wherein: the conduits are coated with a solution comprising between 2-4% by weight titanium dioxide, the titanium dioxide including no more than 80% by weight anatase titanium dioxide, the holes of the individual conduits have a hexagonal shape, and the conduits comprise a plastic material. 